View source for Cool as a Cucumber

''[[Cool as a Cucumber]]'' is a farce in one act by W. Blanchard Jerrold (1826-1884)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blanchard_Jerrold].

==The original text==

First performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre,London,  on 24 March, 1851 and in the National Theatre, Boston also in 1851. Performed at the Broadway, New York, in 1857. Published by T.H. Lacy in 1851, and by Samuel French in 1857.

==Translations and adaptations==

== Performance history in South Africa ==

1861: Performed in the [[Garrison Theatre]] at Grahamstown or Keiskama Hoek by the Sargeants of the [[North Lincolnshire Regiment of Foot]] on June 13 and 17.  The cast consisted of  Sergeant [[J. Lydon]] (Old Barkins), Sergeant [[G. Gill]] (Frederick Barkins), Sergeant-Major [[T. H. Smith]] (Plumper), Corporal [[J. Davies]] (Miss Jessie Honiton), Private [[J. Durney]] (Wiggins). Also performed were the plays ''[[The Lady of the Lake]]'' (Scott) and the "Quarrel Scene," from ''[[Julius Caesar]]'' (Shakespeare), with an interlude by the [[Ethiopian Serenaders]]. ''(For more on contemporary responses to the performances, see the entry on the [[North Lincolnshire Regiment of Foot]])''

1865: Performed as to packed houses in the presence of Governor Wodehouse,  in the [[Theatre Royal]], Cape Town by the ''[[Valorous Amateurs]]'' (amateur players from the visiting ship the ''H.M.S. Valorous''). Also performed was ''[[The Dream at Sea]]'' (Buckstone), with music by the 10th Regiment.

1868: Performed by [[Le Roy and Duret]] in Cape Town, with  ''[[Catherine and Petrucchio, or Taming the Shrew]]'' (Shakespeare) and ''[[Bandwell vs. Pickwick]]'' (''sic.''), as a farewell benefit for [[Miss Raynor]] and [[Mr Bennee]].

== Sources ==

A facsimile version of the 1857 edition by Samuel French, ''The Internet Archive''[https://archive.org/details/coolascucumberfa00jerrrich]. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blanchard_Jerrold

[[F.C.L. Bosman]]. 1980. ''Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916''. Pretoria: [[J.L. van Schaik]]: pp.

Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]

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